Passport Photo Size by Country: Dimensions and Rules Compared

Passport photo sizes differ by country. The most common size is 35 × 45 mm, used by the UK for printed photos, the Schengen countries, Australia and many others, while the United States uses a 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) square. Canada, China and a few others have their own. Whatever the size, nearly every authority requires a recent photo that has not been edited, so an AI-generated or retouched image is the wrong choice.

The table below is a starting point. Confirm the details with the issuing authority, because requirements change and digital applications often have different specifications from printed photos.

Passport photo sizes by country

Country or region	Typical printed size	Head size guidance	Background
United States	2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm)	Head 1 to 1 3/8 in, chin to top of head	White or off-white
United Kingdom	35 × 45 mm	Head 29 to 34 mm	Plain cream or light grey
Schengen countries (e.g. Germany, France, Spain)	35 × 45 mm	Face roughly 70 to 80% of height	Plain, light; varies by country
Canada	50 × 70 mm	Chin to crown 31 to 36 mm	Plain white or light
Australia	35–40 × 45–50 mm	Chin to crown 32 to 36 mm	Plain white or light grey
China	33 × 48 mm	Head width 15 to 22 mm	White
Japan	35 × 45 mm	Head 32 to 36 mm	Plain, light

These figures reflect commonly published guidance at the time of writing. Some countries, including the UK and the US, have separate rules for online applications, where the photo is a digital file with pixel dimensions rather than a printed size.

What nearly every country requires

Sizes differ, but the core rules are remarkably similar across authorities:

• Recent: usually taken within the last six months.
• Neutral expression: mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
• Plain background: no pattern, objects or shadows behind you.
• Even light: no shadows on the face or behind the head, no red eye.
• Sharp and in colour: no blur, no grain, true skin tones.
• No glasses: many countries now ask for glasses to be removed.
• Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, with the face fully visible.
• Unaltered: no retouching, filters or digital changes to the face.

That last point is the one people most often get wrong.

Why AI-edited photos are not acceptable

An ID photo exists so that a person, or an automated gate, can compare it with your face. Retouching, relighting or regenerating the face works against that, even when the result looks like you. Most authorities therefore forbid skin smoothing, beauty filters, reshaping and generated images, and many forbid replacing the background.

AI headshot and background tools re-render the image by design, so their output falls on the wrong side of that line. We cover this in detail in can you use an AI-edited photo for a passport or ID. The short version: take an unedited photo and only crop it.

What you can and cannot do

Action	Usually
Crop to the required size	Fine
Small overall brightness adjustment	Sometimes allowed; check
Replace or clean up the background	Often forbidden
Remove blemishes or smooth skin	Not allowed
Use portrait or beauty mode	Not allowed
Submit an AI-generated headshot	Not allowed

How to take a compliant photo at home

1. Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, light wall, so your shadow does not fall on it.
2. Face a window with soft daylight. Avoid overhead light that puts shadows under the eyes.
3. Ask someone to hold the camera at eye level about 1 to 1.5 metres away. Selfies at arm's length distort the face.
4. Turn off portrait mode, beauty mode and filters. Use the main camera.
5. Take many frames, choose the sharpest one with even light, and crop it to the required size.

If you need prints, many pharmacies and photo shops print a sheet of passport-sized photos from your file. Check the head size after cropping, because that is where home photos most often fail.

Where AI photo tools do help

The official photo should be unedited, but plenty of photos around it can be styled. A professional headshot for LinkedIn, a CV or a company badge that is not an official ID is a reasonable use of the AI headshot tool. For those, see how to make a professional profile picture from a selfie.

You can also use a practice photo to check your lighting and framing before the real one. Just keep the AI-edited version out of the application.

Before you submit

• Confirm the size, head proportion and background colour on the official site.
• Check whether you are applying online (digital file) or on paper (printed photo).
• Make sure the photo is recent, sharp and unedited apart from cropping.
• Keep a copy of the original file in case you are asked for it again.